SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus
view recents

spangle

noun
Save Word
span·​gle | \ ˈspaŋ-gəl How to pronounce spangle (audio) \

Definition of spangle

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a small plate of shining metal or plastic used for ornamentation especially on clothing
2 : a small glittering object or particle

spangle

verb
spangled; spangling\ ˈspaŋ-​g(ə-​)liŋ How to pronounce spangle (audio) \

Definition of spangle (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to set or sprinkle with or as if with spangles

intransitive verb

: to glitter as if covered with spangles : sparkle
Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about spangle

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of spangle in a Sentence

Noun showgirls dressed in costumes with gold spangles Verb in typical Las Vegas fashion, the showgirls' sequined costumes spangled gloriously
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Today, plastic trash spangles the river’s sandy banks. — Paul Salopek, The New Yorker, "Walking the Path of the Buddha in a Neglected Corner of India," 9 Aug. 2019 Even office wear wasn’t immune: Glimmering spangles covered pencil skirts and blazers alike. — Eliza Brooke, Vox, "Jenna Lyons, the former powerhouse behind J.Crew, finally announced her next move," 9 Oct. 2018 Dressed in a dazzle of black spangles, Liza still oozes a star quality that can eclipse a sometimes hazy memory for lyrics and some fumbled lip-synching. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, "Hamish Bowles Goes Inside Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Moda and Sartoria Events in New York City," 9 Apr. 2018 Somewhere in the South Pacific, there are women dressed in sequins, spangles and rhinestones, Katz said, as the audience erupted with applause and delight. — Lynne Terry, OregonLive.com, "Hundreds turn out to celebrate late mayor Vera Katz," 28 Jan. 2018 Equally head turning were the washes of holographic pigment on the lids at Stella Jean and the spangles of tiny sequins tapped onto the nude pouts at Shrimps. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "The 8 Top Beauty Trends From the Spring 2018 Fashion Shows," 11 Oct. 2017 The scrim of daytime sky gives way to a bright spangle of stars. — Richard Conniff, Smithsonian, "A New Age of Discovery Is Happening Right Now in the Remote Forests of Suriname," 29 Mar. 2017 The eruption will signal the moment two stars locked in a cosmic dance have merged, exploding into a red nova that will briefly give Cygnus an extra stellar spangle. — Nadia Drake, National Geographic, "How to See a Star Explode in 2022," 6 Jan. 2017 The scrim of daytime sky gives way to a bright spangle of stars. — Richard Conniff, Smithsonian, "A New Age of Discovery Is Happening Right Now in the Remote Forests of Suriname," 2 May 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Brighten your door with this patriotic 16-inch wreath made of red, white and blue wood curls resembling rose buds spangled with stars. — Kathy Passero, al, "Ready for Memorial Day? From pools to picnics, 10 great items to help you celebrate the unofficial start of summer," 15 May 2020 But that a couple of zealots displayed Confederate flags at this event involving as many as 4,000 people isn’t the first, second, or third thing to know about the protest, which can be more accurately described as lavishly star-spangled. — Rich Lowry, National Review, "The Old Confederate-Flag Canard," 22 Apr. 2020 The Geminid meteor shower will spangle the sky the night before, and a special alignment of Jupiter and Saturn a week later will complete a rare space nerd trifecta. — Aj Willingham, CNN, "20 things to look forward to in 2020," 28 Dec. 2019 Baby Mandy rocks a navy spangled square-necked velvet dress with spaghetti straps, teamed with a delicate metallic necklace. — Teen Vogue, "Mandy Moore Shared a Throwback '90s Homecoming Picture," 19 Oct. 2019 Visitors flock to the farm to stroll boardwalks through native bushland and fields spangled with wildflowers, stopping at lookouts perched high above the Great Southern Ocean. — Emily Matchar, Smithsonian, "You Can Hike, Fish and Even Ski at These Visitor-Friendly Power Plants," 16 Oct. 2019 An Uzbek eatery offers fragrant meat dumplings along with a generous helping of post-Soviet kitsch in the form of glittering gold lamé tablecloths and spangled voile curtains. — The Economist, "Even provincial towns in South Korea are becoming more cosmopolitan," 26 Sep. 2019 Modernizing Presley's iconic towering mane, Collins fastened on a puffy white headband and spangled her voluminous crown with delicate florals in lieu of a veil. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "Lily Collins Channels Priscilla Presley on Her Wedding Day to Elvis at Met Gala 2019," 7 May 2019 Holidays, inasmuch as they are illustrated by their ornaments and decorations, are also hallmarked by their customary foods, which spangle around festive table centerpieces as the true spectacle of the occasions. — Myles Poydras, The Atlantic, "The History Behind One of America’s Most Beloved Desserts," 5 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spangle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of spangle

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1548, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

History and Etymology for spangle

Noun

Middle English spangel, diminutive of spang shiny ornament, probably from Middle Dutch spange; akin to Old English spang buckle, Middle Dutch spannen to stretch

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about spangle

Time Traveler for spangle

Time Traveler

The first known use of spangle was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Statistics for spangle

Cite this Entry

“Spangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spangle. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.

Style: MLA
MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for spangle

spangle

noun
How to pronounce spangle (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of spangle

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a small, shiny piece of metal or plastic that is used to decorate clothing

spangle

verb

English Language Learners Definition of spangle (Entry 2 of 2)

: to decorate or cover (something) with many small, shiny objects

See the full definition for spangle in the English Language Learners Dictionary

spangle

noun
span·​gle | \ ˈspaŋ-gəl How to pronounce spangle (audio) \

Kids Definition of spangle

: sequin

More from Merriam-Webster on spangle

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for spangle

Nglish: Translation of spangle for Spanish Speakers

Comments on spangle

What made you want to look up spangle? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

gazette

Listen to the pronunciation of gazette

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

February 2021 Words of the Day Quiz

  • squirrel in winter
  • Which is a synonym of perdure?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Typeshift

Anagram puzzles meet word search.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games